EJQ6 - Fall 2025 - Journal - Page 4
covers elements that should be included in a traceability protocol intended to
track bene昀椀cially reused soil and discusses the responsibilities of both source
and receiving sites in projects involving the reuse of excess soils.
Provincial regulations are advancing awareness in certain pro-active provinces such as British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Various policies and programs are providing support for the circular economy through processes for
soil relocation, public registries and the regulation of reuse sites.
But concerns about whether we’re doing enough to achieve su昀케cient resource recovery persist. For instance, in Ontario, where there’s an astounding level of ongoing construction, there is criticism about compliance with
the Excess Soil Regulation and a lack of enforcement. Toronto is littered with
towering cranes and construction crews working around the clock but there’s
a relatively limited amount of data coming from the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), the organization mandated by the Ontario government to enforce the province’s circular economy laws. There’s
also pushback over fee increases for the Excess Soil Registry and uncertainty
about the moratorium on allowing excess soil to land昀椀ll.
CUTLINE
Education campaigns and environmental learning opportunities can help clarify the rules and raise awareness about best practices for soil management.
E N V I RON M E N T J OURN A L QUA RT E RLY RE PORT • FA L L 2 02 5 • P AGE 4
